Gone Too Far
by DarkHououmon
Summary: "Perhaps I have been a little too soft. I mean, I am supposed to be ChalkZone's protector, right? How can I accomplish that if I never truly deal with threats? Maybe now is the time I change my attitude a little...starting with you."


Author's Note: This is a 'what if' scenario for Sinful Behaviors. This begins from the point in chapter The Only One At Fault, after Rudy delivers the 'reason you suck speech' to Cosmo. In this story, things take a very different turn. I do not know how often I'll update this.

sss

"Don't you ever trash talk my friends again!" Rudy snarled. "Do you understand me?!"

Cosmo stared up at Rudy, his right eye wide with a mix of shock and fear. Slowly, wordlessly, the man nodded his head. Rudy's eyes narrowed deeply. He had Mr. Cosmo pinned on the ground, holding onto his shirt. His teeth were clenched and he seethed, exhaling sharply a few times. Hatred welled up inside of him as he stared down the evil man.

For a while, neither of them spoke. Skrawl and Draow stared in a stunned silence, none of them making a move. Rudy was hardly paying attention to them. Right now, the only one that mattered was Cosmo. He was the one who caused all of this. He was the one who started this mess. None of this would have happened if it weren't for him. And now this man was trying to pit the blame on him. Well maybe now he would come to understand why that won't work anymore. Rudy was not going to be fooled again. He was not going to let doubt enter his mind. Cosmo was not making a fool of him again.

He stared into Cosmo's fear-filled right eye. Normally, he would feel guilty about this sort of thing. He hated being the bully. He hated becoming the monster. But right now, he just didn't care. He was so angry at this jerk, furious about what he did, that, for a moment, he ignored his feelings of guilt and just glared at him, making sure he fully got the message that he is not to be trifled with. Whether or not Cosmo will take this message, he wasn't sure.

Mr. Cosmo took in a few quick breaths. He licked his lips nervously. Rudy could tell his breathing was slowing down. Noticing the fear in the man's remaining eye slowly fade, Rudy clenched his teeth and prepared for a renewed battle against this foe. He was kind of hoping Cosmo would surrender, but that would be way too easy. Things were never that simple.

"Aren't you going to finish me?" Mr. Cosmo asked, his head tilted to the side.

Rudy shook his head. "No, Mr. Cosmo..." He released the man and stood up. "I am not like you."

Mr. Cosmo stared at him. His nose wrinkled a little in what Rudy guessed was disgust or disappointment. He slowly rose up to his feet and stood there, staring at Rudy with that same expression. Rudy waited to see what kind of move he was going to make next. He watched as Mr. Cosmo just stood there. They remained this way for what felt like several minutes. Silence fell upon the cave room, becoming deafening as time passed.

Mr. Cosmo straightened himself up and a dark laugh started to escape his throat. Rudy hissed at this and took a step back. He raised up his magic chalk, prepared for a continuation of the battle. But the man did not try to attack. He just closed his remaining eye and threw his head back. The cold laughter sent chills throughout the room. Rudy flinched at this. What was Cosmo doing? Why was he acting this way? He had been frightened only a short while ago. Just what was he finding so funny?

The man did eventually stop laughing. He looked over at Rudy, his right eye wide with what looked like insanity. Rudy could see the black glint in his eyes. Seeing it send shudders through his body and he knew what it meant. Cosmo was about to get...tricky... Rudy took one step back, his body slightly hunched as he prepared for a fight.

"You really are something, aren't you?" Cosmo asked, a dark grin spreading across his face. Rudy looked at him, confused. Cosmo took this as a message to continue. The man said, "You...really think you can stop me? How do you propose you do that, hmm? Do you...think you can just...throw me in prison and lock away the key? Is that it?"

Rudy narrowed his eyes. "It will keep you from causing trouble..."

"And..what if I get out, dear boy...? No jail is completely...inescapable..." Cosmo's grin widened slightly. "I will find...my way out of there... And then what? Will you try locking me up a second time...?" Rudy growled at this, and nodded his head. Cosmo chuckled lightly and took a step forward. "See? That is your problem. You think that...if you just throw me in some cage...and throw away the key and let me rot..that all your problems will disappear... Well guess what, boy? Life isn't always that simple.." He raised up his hand and tightened it into a fist. "Sometimes, you have to take matters into your own...hands..."

Rudy knew what the man was trying to do, and it wasn't going to work. He was not going to let himself be manipulated like this. He took a step back, glaring hatefully at the man. Of course Cosmo was not going to remain intimdated for long. Of course he was going to try to gain the upperhand again by toying with his mind. He was not going to let it happen again. Cosmo had played with his head for too long now. If he wanted to get a satisfactory reaction out of him, he was going to need to try much harder than that.

Rudy could feel the others' eyes boring into him. Without looking, he knew Skrawl and Draow were watching them. He could no longer hear the pitter patter of feet slamming into the ground. He knew that Skrawl and Draow hadn't bothered fighting again. They were busy looking at them to see where their battle was going to lead. Perhaps it was for the best. If Draow and Skrawl were fighting again, Rudy would have been worried of them accidentally slamming into each other and causing more pain than necessary.

He kept his eyes on Cosmo. He tried to devise a plan in his head. He needed to find someway to neutralize him. The man was still standing. He still had the black chalk in his hand. If he could just get him away from it and trap him, he could take him to prison where he'll be locked up, hopefully for a very long time. Assaulting a minor would definitely land him in hot water, and he had the physical proof for that.

But what if he did get out...? He shook his head. If that were the case, there would be a manhunt and he would be located. He would be brought back. There was no way he'd stay out forever. Rudy didn't mind constantly sending him back to jail, so long as, in the end, this caused him to spend most of his time in jail. He needed to pay for what he's done, and there was no better justice than to have him sit in jail for a very long time. That would give him plenty of time to think about what he's done and realize, hopefully, that he had put himself there. He made these choices. It was time he owned up to them.

"I know what you are trying to do..." Rudy said sternly. He lifted up his hand and pointed a finger in the reporter's direction. "And I will save you your breath by telling you it's not going to work. If you still wish to try, go head." He stood there for a few seconds, glaring at Cosmo. The man held a smug look on his face, making Rudy's blood start to boil a little. He was taking this all so casually... "There is nothing you can say or do that will change my mind!"

Cosmo cocked an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

Rudy nodded his head. "I don't care how many times I have to repeat this. I will keep fighting you when needed and make sure you get locked up each time."

"And even if it gets to the hundredth time..." Cosmo inquired.

"As long as I am able to keep ChalkZone safe from you..." Rudy said firmly, keeping his feet firmly planted on the ground and straightening himself as much as he could. "I will continue to fight you... I don't care how many times we have to tangle. I will fight, and I will always beat you."

Mr. Cosmo stared at him for a moment. His smile came back slowly. "I see... Well Rudy.." He turned his head away and closed his eye. He shrugged his shoulders in the air like he had no idea what was going on. This irritated Rudy. "I don't know why you always go for such a...boring solution... Don't you want to be remembered as the guy who took down big bad Cosmo?" He looked back at Rudy. "Don't you want to keep ChalkZone permanently safe...for me...?" Rudy narrowed his eyes. "I'll take that as a yes. And if you want my advice, there is something you can do that will stop me...forever..."

Rudy watched as Mr. Cosmo raised his hand back in the air. His fingers curled up against his palm, all except for one. The pointer. Cosmo pressed his nail against his throat, keeping his arm elevated. Then he made a swift motion, dragging the nail across his throat, mimicking the sound of ripping as he did so. It took a second for Rudy to realize just what he was implying.

Rudy took a step back. "Are you nuts?! I'm not doing that!"

"But...if you want to stop me forever...that is your best soltuion..." Mr. Cosmo sneered, grinning with his teeth exposed. "Why don't you do it, boy? You know you want to... You know...you have it in you, the burning rage to destroy me... Why don't you feed it? Let it guide you... Listen to your instinct, boy..." He narrowed his eyes as his grin grew psychotic. "Kill me."

Rudy shook his head in disbelief. Was this guy nuts? Did he seriously think he was going to kill him? No, he couldn't do that. He wouldn't do that. It was against his nature. He never deliberately harmed or tried to kill anyone before. Not of his own free will that is. He was not about to start now. He knew what Cosmo was playing at. He knew exactly why he wanted him to kill him. It was all a plan to break him. He wasn't going to fall for it.

He took another step back, glaring hatefully at the man. He stood firm, narrowing his eyes and clenching his hands into fists. Without saying a word, he made it very clear to Cosmo that he was not going to kill him. There was absolutely nothing this man could do to make him kill him. He didn't care what Cosmo did. Nothing would convince him that killing him was a good idea. Yeah, this man was awful and he should be stopped. But he would rather do it the right way, and let the justice system handle it, than to let Cosmo have the last laugh by killing him on command.

Rudy turned his head to see Draow and Skrawl. They still weren't fighting, still were watching. Now they both looked absolutely shocked by what Mr. Cosmo had said to him, especially Draow. Rudy had never seen a genuine look of shock and fear before, and that was what Draow had on his face right now. Rudy had wondered just how far their relationship spread, and judging from Draow's horrified expression, they were either friends or just really good partners. Maybe Draow could talk some sense into Mr. Cosmo if the man became too persistant.

The smile never faltered from Mr. Cosmo's face. Rudy's look of defiance did little to deter him. The man started to circle him like a hawk, hands clasped behind his back. Rudy tensed up and watched him, preparing for a surprise attack at any moment. He raised his fists a little, showing Cosmo he was not afraid to defend himself if he had to.

"You can continue to refuse to kill me, Rudy, but...everyone has their breaking point. Sooner or later, you will have to kill me. If I am arrested, I will just escape again and again... Oh you might say 'But the jail you go to will be very secure!' and that may be true... But what if I do get out, little Rudy? What then? Do you really want to continue doing this song and dance? Especially when you can end it all here, all right now? Come on, Rudy. It's not that hard to kill someone. Just stick a knife through my heart. Blow my brains out. I know you have the killer instinct inside you. Let it guide you. Kill me..."

Rudy adamently shook his head 'no'. He refused to kill him. He hated this madman. He hated all that he has done. But he would never kill him. Rudy was not a violent person. He won't lift a finger to hurt anyone. Even in his past fights with Skrawl, he had been careful not to actually hurt the jellybean. Stall him, annoy him, inconvenience him, yes, he'd do that. But outright injure? No. And kill...well that was totally out of the question.

Rudy knew he had to be strong. He could not allow Mr. Cosmo to trigger any kind of temptation. He could not allow any dark desires he never knew existed to awaken and to control him. He was a guardian, a protector. He was not a killer or a tyrant. He was not going to take the life of someone, no matter how evil and nasty they were. Especially not in this case, where if he ended up killing Cosmo, he would be doing exactly what the man wanted. He had to defy him, resist him, by doing the opposite of what he demanded.

He was going to let him live.

The fifteen year old gave a shudder when he felt Cosmo's hands on his shoulders. The man stood behind him now. He gently squeezed his shoulders before slinging an arm across the boy's body, pressing against his chest and stomach. Cosmo pulled him close, pressing his body against his. The man rested his chin on Rudy's shoulder, his face next to his. Rudy was uncomfortable with the man's face being this close to his and he tried to pull away. Cosmo just tightened his grip.

"How long can you resist, Rudy? How long will you be able to keep your 'no kill vow' before you finally give in?" Cosmo asked in a harsh voice. Rudy looked at him with eyes filled with contempt. Cosmo just chuckled at this. "Sometimes, dear child, sacrifices must be made for the greater good."

Rudy hissed at this. "What would you know about the 'greater good'?"

"A lot more than you know." Came Cosmo's icy reply.

Cosmo moved his head over to rest on Rudy's other shoulder, rubbing his face against his in an almost affectionate manner. He slung his arm cross the boy's stomach to hold him in place while his hand ran almost Rudy's arm gently, from his other shoulder down to his hand and he repeated this gesture. Rudy was disgusted and disturbed by this behavior. He wanted to try to get away, but for some reason, he couldn't get himself to move. He remained frozen as Cosmo held onto him, continuing to run his hand along his arm like he were some kind of pet.

Rudy shuddered as he felt Cosmo's hot breath against his ear as the man whispered to him. "I know that, deep down, you want to kill me. I can sense it. The temptation is there. If you don't kill me, I will keep on hurting people. And I know you don't want that."

Rudy was silent. He turned his eyes over to Cosmo and glared at him, a low growl emitting from his throat. He was not going to let Cosmo manipulate him. "I will stop you. And I will do it without killing you. I am not going to fall for your little game, Cosmo. Your mind play tricks will not work on me any longer."

Cosmo chuckled darkly. He moved his head up and grabbed Rudy by his shoulders. He swung the teenager around so that he faced him. Before Rudy could react, the man reached down and grabbed his chin roughly, his other hand gripping his arm tightly. He held the boy's head still while he pressed his forehead against his. Rudy coughed as he felt the man's breath hit against his face. His face so close...it was unnerving, especially with that gash on his left eye.

"Are you so sure about that, Rudy?" Cosmo gently rubbed Rudy's chin like he were a cat. "Because as I recall, you said if I hurt your little friend, that you'd kill me."

"That was just a slip of the tongue!" Rudy protested.

Cosmo laughed coldly. "Oh of course, deny it all you want to..." Cosmo moved his head back and released the boy's chin. He then moved his hand up and started to toy with Rudy's hair a little, twirling his fingers through the strands. Rudy tried to get away, but Cosmo held him still. "But in the end, one day, if not be me, then by someone else, you will break. Someday, your vow of 'no kill' will be broken. Sooner or later, you will run into a villain you will have no choice but to kill. Why don't you start now? Kill me now. Go on..I'll give you a knife and you can slice my throat open. Wouldn't that be a beautiful sight, my blood staining the ground? Come on, admit it..." He gave a psychotic grin. "That would be gorgeous..."

Rudy shook his head frantically. "N-No!"

"No? Oh come on, child..." Mr. Cosmo placed his hands on Rudy's cheeks and tilted his head upwards very slightly. "You know you want to, deep down... You have that burning desire to kill me. It's eating away at you, I can tell... Why don't you fulfill that desire? Come on...kill me..."

Rudy couldn't believe how sick and twisted Mr. Cosmo was getting. He had gone off the deep end. He was trying to make him kill him. Not injure or maim, but actually kill him. Had he really lost it? Did the last bit of his sanity suddenly die within the last hour? Mr. Cosmo was so determined to prove that he is like him...that he was willing to sacrifice his own life just to prove a point. No, Rudy couldn't fall for it... He had to resist. He had keep Cosmo from messing with him. He had to ignore his mind play tricks the best he could.

But how long could he hold out? How long would it be before he ended up cracking and doing something horrible? No, he couldn't think like that. Rudy shook his head, clutching his fist tightly in determination. He couldn't allow Cosmo to control him like that. He didn't have any desire to kill him. He just wanted to stop him. He just wanted to send him to jail. He did not want to kill the man, no matter how evil and vile he was. That wouldn't be right. It wouldn't make him any better than him. It would make him a monster. And he wasn't about to become the monster.

Rudy glared at Cosmo and shoved him back. The man took only a few steps backwards, smiling at the boy. A nasty smile spread across his face as he leered down at Rudy. The look of insanity in that remaining right eye, it chilled Rudy to the core. From that alone, he knew that Cosmo was not going to give up on this ill-thought quest of his. He was going to do whatever it took to make him crack. Rudy growled at this and took a fighting stance. He had to find someway to subdue this maniac before he had a chance to do anything to further this insane plan of his.

But, he realized, too late, Cosmo was thinking ahead in all this. He lurched forward towards the teenager and grabbed his right wrist tightly. Rudy attempted to struggle and wrench his hand away. Cosmo responded by grabbing his injured left hand and twisting it. Rudy cried out in pain and nearly dropped down onto his knees. With Rudy temporarily distracted by pain, it was easy for Cosmo to rip the magic chalk from his hands. He threw the chalk into the ground and crushed it underneath his foot. Rudy opened up one eye and glared hatefully at the man.

"Of course you won't fight fair..." Rudy hissed, pressing his left hand lightly against his chest and seethed in pain. "You're...too much of a coward.."

"Oh it's not that, my dear boy." Cosmo said. He tilted his head to one side, staring at Rudy with his remaining right eye. They widened with a little bit of insanity. "I'm no coward... It's just that playing 'fair' as you say, it doesn't always get results. I play...by my own...rules... Rules that ensure that I will win."

"So you cheat." Rudy said flatly.

Cosmo grinned. "You have a funny way of...calling opportunities, little Rudy."

"Stop calling me 'little'..." Rudy hissed.

"Oh but you are little..." Cosmo said with a sneer. "Let me show you just how little you are..."

Cosmo threw Rudy into the ground. At this, Skrawl tried to rush forward, but he was pushed back by Draow. The two of them resumed their fight, although Rudy could hardly pay attention to that. He laid on the ground, moaning in pain. The back of his head had slammed against the rock. He was a little dazed and confused. By the time he was aware of what was going on, it was too late. Cosmo was already upon him.

The man had lowered himself down to his level. He straddled Rudy, his knees on either side of him. He rested on Rudy's stomach. Then he leaned forward and placed his hands on either side of his head. Rudy looked up in horror, the position that they were in making him feel very awkward and strange. His breathing quickened, his mind swirling. Just what was Mr. Cosmo doing? Why would he do something like this? Then again, should he even be surprise by this? Cosmo was a nutjob; he would do all kinds of crazy things if it suits his needs.

Rudy tried to get free, but the man was too strong. Rudy jerked left to right. None of that was going to free him, though. The man's large size and strength was enough to keep him from doing much of anything. Soon Rudy stopped struggling and looked up at Mr. Cosmo with his right eye widened. He felt his heart freeze when Mr. Cosmo put his forehead against his again, this time with more pressure. He tried to push his head away, but Cosmo gripped his arms and held them in place. A cold chuckle came from the man's throat. Rudy grimaced as he felt the man's breath against his face again.

"So little you are..." Cosmo sneered. "You think like a little boy. You think the world is...a fine and dandy place... You ignore all the grays.. Not everything is so..black and white, dear child.. Little Rudy.." He moved his head back a little. "And one way or another..I will prove it to you..."

Rudy tried to free his arms. "You...you cannot make me kill you! I won't do it! Nothing you do or say will change my mind!"

"Oh is that so?" Mr. Cosmo chuckled, his shoulders shaking a little as he did so. "Well then..."

Cosmo both of Rudy's arms. Rudy used this chance to try to punch him in self defense, but that is exactly what Cosmo wanted. And soon, because of his own desperation, Mr. Cosmo had both his wrists secured tightly with his one hand. With a sharp push and pull, Cosmo slammed his hands against the ground, twisting his body to the side in the process. Rudy cried out from pain. Cosmo hadn't taken care to make sure that his body could bend like this. He swore he felt his back crack. He didn't have time to think about it when he felt Cosmo's fingers touched the side of his head, pulling his hair away from his ear.

Then, leaning forward and whispering softly into his hear, Cosmo spoke.

"Perhaps I should...kick things up a notch..don't you think? I know you care about ChalkZone, don't you? You would do whatever it takes to defend it, right? So..perhaps I shall give you an incentive to kill me..."

Rudy didn't like where this was going. He tried to get free, feeling unnerved whenever the madman's breath hit against his ear. "Wh-What are you going to do?"

"Hmm...that is a good question... What should I do...? There's so much." Mr. Cosmo mused. He leaned up, but continued to stradle Rudy on the ground. He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Well.. I could always set a forest on fire. Or I could attack some hospitals, blowing them up. Oh, and then there's spreading red chalk.. Oh sure it was a failed experiment of mine, but in this case...its violent tendancies would come in handy. Yes...I think I'll go with that..."

Rudy tried to struggle. He pushed against Cosmo, but the man wouldn't budge. It was getting a little hard to breathe. Cosmo hardly shifted his weight. His body pressed roughly against his stomach, reducing his ability to take in a breath. After trying for a while to push the man off of him, he stopped. He took in a few shallow breaths, his arms laying at his sides, and he glared up at Cosmo. He had to find someway out of this. He had to try to fight back. But how? He lost his magic chalk earlier.

Mr. Cosmo had crushed his magic chalk right in front of him. Without it, he wasn't able to defend himself. He could grab another. He thought he saw another piece laying around. But in order to get it, he had to get Cosmo off of him. It was crucial he defeated this guy now, before he had a chance to go forth with his plan. He couldn't allow Cosmo to use the red chalk. He wasn't going to permit a bunch of red chalk monstrosities to roam around ChalkZone, wreaking havoc. As its protector, he was not going to allow it to happen. He had to stop him, and fast.

"Oh! Or maybe I'll fill some kind of poison in the Wait N Sea! Yes, that would be fun, wouldn't you say, Rudy?" Cosmo asked. He sneered down at the teenager, looking very amused by the whole thing. Rudy narrowed his eyes up at him. "You are chalkless, boy. I can easily escape from you and go about doing those things. I destroyed parts of ChalkZone before. I can do it again... Oh you know what? Scratch all that. I know exactly what I'm going to do to ChalkZone."

"What..what can you possibly do that's worse than any of that...?" Rudy was terrified to know the answer. Yet he found himself asking, almost curious to know. Mr. Cosmo's nasty smile in response to that chilled his blood. "Wh-What do you have planned...?"

Mr. Cosmo tilted his head to the side. His grin spread further, almost ear to ear. "Do you mind if I tell you a little secret?" Rudy looked at him in confusion and dread. Mr. Cosmo lowered himself a little. He reached down and gently touched Rudy's cheek with the back of his right hand. "There is a place in ChalkZone...my design mostly... Solar Pillars.. It is designed to destroy ChalkZone.."

Rudy's eyes widened in horror. He shook his head, his body shaking. "N-No..."

"Oh yes..." Mr. Cosmo pulled his head back. His right eye widened a little. "It is constructed to let in real world water, which would be distributed all over ChalkZone. It would dissolve this place from the inside out. All the zoners would die from it. Every. Single. One." He put his face close to Rudy's. "That is what I'm going to do... As soon as I get out of here, little Rudy, I am activating that weapon of mine. I will destroy ChalkZone...and it'll be all your fault.."

Rudy shook his head. "No, you're wrong! I'm not telling you to..."

Mr. Cosmo clamped his head over his mouth tightly. "Oh enough of your petty little speeches boy... I am so...sick of them..." He rolled his right eye, and then he gave him an eerie smile. Rudy could see his right eye had the black glow in it now. "And they will not help you here, boy. No matter what you say... You have no way of stopping me. You cannot use your pathetic little talks to convince me otherwise. You really only have two choices. You can either kill me and stop me from destroying ChalkZone...or you can let me go, and allow me to do so, thus betraying everyone."

Rudy's body trembled. He couldn't believe Mr. Cosmo would go this far. He was forcing him into an ultimatum. He either killed Cosmo or he allowed ChalkZone to be destroyed. He..he didn't want either of those things to happen. He couldn't take a life. That just wasn't him... He would never do such a thing. He was not a murderer. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he did that. But he also couldn't allow ChalkZone to be destroyed. He was its guardian. Its protector... He couldn't turn his back on the zoners he had sworn to protect. He couldn't allow Cosmo to get to that machine.

But how was he going to do that? He had no magic chalk. He wasn't going to risk using the black chalk to fight him. Skrawl and Draow weren't even in the room with them anymore. They had rolled out and fought elsewhere. He didn't know where they could have gone with the Chalk Mine in shambles, but his mind was focused on Cosmo at the moment. The man had him pinned down. If there was any magic chalk, it was too far for him to reach. He had to find a way to get the man off of him so he could get a new piece of magic chalk...

...but was there even a piece left? Could he risk wasting time looking around for a piece that might not even be there? By the time he'd find it, Mr. Cosmo would be gone. He had no idea where this Solar Pillars place was. Even if he found a zoner who knew the way quickly, there was no guarantee he'd be able to get to the pillars in time. Then it would be activated and then... no more ChalkZone... Everything would be erased. It would all start over from scratch. Everyone he had met and befriended...they'd be gone.

Maybe...maybe there really was only one way too... No.. He shook the thought from his head. He couldn't fall for it. He couldn't allow Mr. Cosmo to manipulate him like this. He had to find another way. Killing him..that couldn't possibly be the only way to defeat him. There had to be another..somehow... He had to resist. He couldn't allow Mr. Cosmo to control him like this. He had to fight back those words. He had to keep Cosmo from affecting him like this. He was going to defeat him and he was going to do it without killing him.

"If only you had your magic chalk...you might be able to beat me..." Mr. Cosmo said tauntingly. He played with Rudy's hair again. The boy winced at his touch. "So...what's it going to be, little Rudy... Are you going to try to stop me..? There is only one way... Kill me... or let ChalkZone be destroyed.."

Rudy shook his head. "No...I won't do it...! I'll stop you and save ChalkZone, without killing you!"

"But what's my life worth? Nothing... I am a monster, remember?" Cosmo waved his hand dismissingly. "I am nothing more than mere speck. It is the greater good that counts more, right? Why don't you do the right thing and kill me? You and I both know that, statistically, it is more worth it to save many over just a few."

Rudy shook his head, trying to resist the mind play. He closed his eyes tightly and gritted his teeth. "I won't do it! I'll find another way!"

"And what if you don't? What if I escape, and all of ChalkZone is destroyed? If you don't think I will go through with it..." Mr. Cosmo gave a cold chuckle. "Well..do you really want to take that risk? Because if you know me well enough, then you'd know I would do it. This place is expendable... More zoners can always be created to fill in the void...the literal void that would appear after it's been completely erased. I don't care if I have to destroy this place to use it. But you..." His right eye twinkled. "I know you don't want to lose any of those...things you call friends... They can't be brought back, now can they?"

Cosmo moved his hand down to his pocket. He pulled out the knife that his eye was sliced on and lifted it up in front of Rudy. The teenager's eyes widened and he looked away, half expecting Cosmo to stab him with it. But instead, the man placed it in his right hand and closed his fingers over it. Rudy looked down at the knife and then back up at Cosmo.

"Go on...kill me... Slice my throat open. Save ChalkZone." Mr. Cosmo said, that same calm eerie smile on his face the whole time. "All it takes is a little pressure. And then it'll be over, and you'll be a hero. Everyone will say how you stopped 'big bad Cosmo'..."

"No! I'm not a murderer!" Rudy cried.

"Yes..do it..." Mr. Cosmo said. His right eye filled with insanity, his pupil dilating. "You want to..I can sense it... Kill me now. Let me have it. Show no mercy..."

Rudy shook his head in desperation. "I..I..."

Mr. Cosmo's right eye widened slightly, an insane smile on his face. "Do it..."

Rudy tried his best to resist. He wouldn't do it. No, he couldn't do it. There was no way he was going to give in. He wasn't going to kill. That wasn't like him. He was not going to take this man's life. There's no way he would. He still had the knife in his hand, not bothering to let go, but he made up his mind. He was not going to use it. Instead, he tried to look around for another way out. He wasn't about to give up. There had to be another way around this, another way to stop Cosmo. He refused to believe that killing was the only option available.

He realized quickly he was not going anywhere. Mr. Cosmo still had him pinned down. He had lowered his face even more. He was giving him a clear shot of his throat, waiting for him to make the lethal blow. That insane smile on his face was unnerving, sending shudders through Rudy's spine. He tried to push back with his injured left hand. He cried out in pain when Cosmo grabbed onto it and slammed it into the ground. Tears of pain flowed from Rudy's eyes as his left hand was twisted. He attempted to let go of the knife, but Cosmo gripped his right arm as well and held it down, making sure the knife was still in his hand.

"Come on boy..do it..." Cosmo sneered. Rudy turned his head to the side, not wanting to see Cosmo's face. The man leaned forward and pressed his forehead against the side of Rudy's head. He whispered directly into his ear. "What are you waiting for..? Don't you care about ChalkZone? Don't you care about what happens to all those zoners? I...thought you..cared... Or was I wrong? Shall I just leave and begin the destruction now? Imagine all those screams, Rudy..."

Rudy's body started to tremble. Anger and fear started to well up inside of him. He had his eyes shut tightly. He tried his best to drown out what Cosmo was saying. He tried to ignore him. But the man's words echoed through his mind, sawing at him like a buzzsaw. They weren't leaving him. And the more the man spoke, the angrier and more distressed Rudy started to get.

"All of ChalkZone is...counting on you... You don't want to let them down, do you? I sure hope not.. Because if you don't stop me now... It's all gone, Rudy. I will destroy ChalkZone. I am not afraid...to do it... I was not foolish enough to make friends here... So there's nothing holding me back. But you..you have lots of friends here, don't you? Do you really want to betray them?"

Rudy started to feel his temper begin to boil over. No, he couldn't let himself get too angry. He had to try to get calm again. He couldn't let anger control him. He couldn't... He didn't want to kill Cosmo. He tried his best to stay still on the ground. He tried to calm his shaking body. But it was no use.

Cosmo did not let up with the taunts. "I can't wait to hear their screams, Rudy. I'm sure you might enjoy them too...in a way. Crying as their homes are destroyed, before they are taken by the watery demise. Yes...it will be most delightful. And it'll be your fault, Rudy. All your fault.. what kind of hero are you if you aren't willing to do what is necessary? All these zoners look up to you and here you are, at my mercy... And you refuse to do what is right. How pitiful.." Cosmo let out a dark chuckle. "I suppose I should have expected this from you.. You're too soft, and because of that, I am going to destroy ChalkZone. I will murder all your zoner buddies... And it will be glorious! And I will have you to thank! Congratulations! That will be your legacy, you worthless little brat! Some guardian you turned out to be!"

What happened next, Rudy never meant to do it. He hadn't planned on doing it. He had been activately trying not to do it. But it happened anyway. He had lost control of his temper. His anger had boiled over. His body exploded in emotion, mostly rage, and there was no going back.

"No!" Rudy shouted, his eyes widening in anger. He looked up at Cosmo in a blind rage and he wrenched his arm free. Without thinking, without hesitating, he struck against Cosmo, his right hand still clutching the knife given to him tightly.

There was a large splatter of blood that spilled all over his chest and stomach. Rudy realized seconds later what he had just done. In an instant, his anger was gone, replaced with a look of horror. He realized, to his fright, that he had slashed Cosmo in the neck. There was a deep gash along the left side of his neck. It was very deep and blood rapidly pooled out from his neck, continuing to stain his shirt. Cosmo let out a few painful grunts, but the smile never left his face. Trembling in shock of what he had done, Rudy let go of the knife and it clanged as it hit the ground.

Cosmo swayed from side to side as the blood loss started to affect him. The smile still plastered across his face, and soon it became more and more twisted as the life started to fade from his eyes. He didn't try to speak. He couldn't. He was choking on his own blood now, dripping from his mouth. He looked insanely pleased with what Rudy had done. Rudy put his hands to his mouth, his eyes widening further as Cosmo finally collapsed against him. He stared at the fallen Cosmo for a few seconds before panic started to sink in. He scrambled from underneath him and moved away.

He took in a few shaky breaths. He..he didn't just... No..he couldn't have...no.. He didn't mean to.. He never wanted to do something like this... No.. Cosmo had to still be alive. He couldn't be dead. Rudy couldn't be a murderer... No...

Rudy moved close to the fallen man and dropped down onto his knees. He carefully pushed him until he was on his back. The same twisted smile on his face. His eyes open, forever clouded, forever unseeing. There was no spark of life in those eyes anymore. His was coated in blood. With trembling fingers, Rudy pressed them against his neck. He waited, and hoped... but no pulse came. He took in a shuddering breath and realized the truth. There was no denying it.

Mr. Cosmo was dead... and he had killed him.. He was a murderer.. The realization washed over like a cold chill. Suddenly everything around him seemed to grow dark, and he became unaware of his surroundings. All he could see was Mr. Cosmo's lifeless corpse on the ground, his body unmoving. He saw the bloodied knife on the ground, the one that he used to kill him. He stared at his chest, stained by Mr. Cosmo's blood...that he himself had shed... He stared at his hands, more blood... He did this... He killed Cosmo...

How could he have done this...? How could he take a life...? It was..horrible..the worst feeling he ever felt... He felt his legs shake. He found it hard to stand up again. He found it hard to tear his gaze away from Cosmo's corpse. He kept looking at him, silently hoping, praying, that he would wake up, that he was just fine. He didn't want Cosmo to die... This isn't the fate he wanted. He didn't want to be Cosmo's killer. He wasn't a murderer...he wasn't a murderer...

Unable to take it anymore, he collapsed on the ground. He curled up in a ball not far from the man's body. He started to cry and sob, shedding tears, the salty liquid moving down his cheeks. "Wh-What have I d-done...? What have I done...?" He whimpered softly.

sss

Rudy stared at Snap's sleeping form as he rested on the hospital bed. IVs were attached to him and he had a breathing mask on. The doctors say his condition had been improving and they think his condition will continue going up as time went on. Rudy was happy to hear that. Some good news was a nice change of pace. He was really happy that his friend was likely going to recover.

He sat down next to Penny as they waited for Snap to wake up. There was no telling when he would. The doctors say it might not be for days. He still needed to recover from the disease that had ravaged his body unchecked all this time. His other injuries too, such as the gash on his back, also needed time to heal. And there was the neurological damage. The doctors weren't sure if Snap's body would fully recover from that or not, and it would take time before they would find out.

As much as Rudy wanted Snap to be awake now, he understood the need for him to have rest. He wasn't going to do anything to force him to wake him, not that he'd know how to do that anyway. He didn't have a lot of knowledge of medical things. That was Penny's area of expertise. But he was in no rush. Snap needed rest now. He trusted the doctors. He would recover. He might not regain the use of his legs, and he hoped that wasn't the case. But at this rate, he just wanted his friend back. He wanted to give him a hug and tell him how much he cared about him. He wanted to let Snap know everything was okay, and that Mr. Cosmo was gone and...

His voice trailed off at that. The previous guilty feelings he felt before, which he had managed to push back when he shifted focus to the concern for his friend, it came back to him. The twisted feeling came back to his stomach, making him feel nausaeous. The realization that he was a murderer...it clouded over his mind. He tried not to think about it. Now wasn't the time...but he couldn't stop... oh he just couldn't stop... He started to cry.

Penny noticed him crying. She put her arm around him and pulled him close. "It's okay, Rudy... He'll recover. You heard what the doctors said. He's doing well."

Rudy nodded his head. When he spoke, his voice was cracked with emotion. "I-I know... I'm...not crying because I think he will die... I know he won't..."

Penny was confused. She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Then...what is it...?"

He turned his gaze towards her. He knew he couldn't keep it bottled in. As much as he was afraid to tell Penny, as much as he was afraid of what she might think of him, he had to tell her. He couldn't keep this in any longer. He had to tell someone. With no one else in the room except Penny and Snap, who was still unconscious, Rudy wrapped his arms tightly around Penny and confessed.

"I killed Cosmo!" Rudy wailed loudly.

Penny stammered, her eyes wide in shock. "Y-You did what...?"

"I didn't want to...I didn't mean to..." Rudy whimpered. He cried against her shoulder. "He...he said he was going to destroy ChalkZone with some place called Solar Pillars if I didn't! But I refused...I tried to...I tried to resist... Even when he gave me the knife..I couldn't do it... but he kept pushing me...and pushing me..." He huddled up closer to her, feeling her hold onto him tighter. "And he was making me so angry and I just...snapped... I stabbed him in the neck with the knife... I killed him...but I didn't want to...I never wanted to..."

Penny held onto Rudy, gently rubbing his back. She rested her chin on his shoulder, pressing her cheek against his head. She never once tried to push him away. Never once did she act disgusted by his actions. Rudy was surprised, somewhat pleasantly. He continued to hold onto her, afraid to let go. Penny ran her fingers through his hair and said, "Shh...it's okay Rudy... I understand.. It was an accident. You didn't mean to do it. I won't think less of you."

Rudy pulled his head back and stared at her in shock. "Y-You won't...? Even after I...took a life? Even after what I did?"

"Rudy, you made a mistake, and you confessed to it. It was an accident. Cosmo kept pushing you and you just snapped. I know you didn't mean to do it. I know you would never do such a thing on purpose, would you?" Penny asked.

Shaking his head, Rudy cried, "N-No...! Never! I swear, Penny..I would never have wanted to do that!"

"I know, Rudy. I know how you really are. You're a good kid. You would never hurt anyone on purpose. Nothing will ever change that." Penny said in a comforting voice. "So please, don't beat yourself up over it. Everything will be okay."

Rudy still wasn't sure. He looked towards the ground, his lower lip quivering. "B-But what if I...what if I do it again...?"

Penny's eyes widened at this. "Rudy...why would you think such a thing? I know you would never do that!"

"But...what if I lose control again..?" Rudy's asked, stammering. Tears flowed down his face. "I..I have seen what my anger can do, Penny.. I killed someone...What if it happens again...?"

"Listen to me, Rudy. It won't. You're my best friend. I know what you would do and wouldn't do. I know your boundaries. Killing Cosmo was an accident. You didn't mean to do it. It doesn't mean that you are going to go around killing everyone everytime you lose your temper." Penny placed a hand on Rudy's cheek and gently caressed it. "Now please...calm down... Everything will be okay. You'll see... Soon Snap will wake up, he'll get better, and everything will return to the way it was before... I promise..."

Rudy glanced over at Snap. He watched as his chest rose and fell. He watched as the heart monitor continued to beep. Penny was right, he hoped. Everything would be okay. Things would go back to the way they used to be, before Cosmo rose his ugly head. He tried to push back the thoughts of killing Cosmo to the back of his head and tried to focus instead on his friends. Snap needed him right now. He couldn't keep thinking about what happened with Cosmo. Penny was right. It was just an accident. He wouldn't kill again. He would see to that.

He smiled gratefully at Penny and hugged her. "Thank you..." He whispered as he pressed his lips against hers. They shared a brief kiss before they parted and smiled at each other.

"No problem, Rudy." Penny said, smiling gently at him. "I know you...I know you won't ever change who you are..."

"I know I won't." Rudy smiled back at her. The two friends looked towards Snap. They watched as their friend slept. They knew he was going to wake up soon. They both knew, without a doubt, that things were going to back to the way they used to be.


End file.
